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News

Olympic training pool heading for Birmingham

18 March 2014

Birmingham residents will be able to follow in the footsteps of Olympic champions Rebecca Adlington and Michael Phelps after the City Council confirmed one of the London 2012 Olympic training pools is heading for Sparkhill.

"Not only is that an exciting prospect for anyone who was fired up by 2012, but it is also coming to Birmingham at a fraction of the cost of a new pool."The Council submitted a £200,000 bid for the tank, heating system and filters of one of the nine training pools used during the Games and the pool will be packaged up and rebuilt in the city, replacing the derelict Sparkhill Pool which closed in 2009.

The new pool and leisure centre is set to include not only the six-lane 25m training pool, but a fitness suite, dance studio, community room and sauna and will open in September 2015.

Council deputy leader Ian Ward said: “Our successful bid for one of the pools from the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games means that we will soon have the chance to literally immerse ourselves in the Olympic legacy!

“Not only is that an exciting prospect for anyone who was fired up by 2012, but it is also coming to Birmingham at a fraction of the cost of a new pool.”

Sparkhill is one of six pools and leisure centres to be built in the city over the next three years at a total cost of £36 million, replacing nine out-of-date facilities which will be closed.